With the press replaced in favour of a more possession-based approach, the Wanderers dominated their cross-town rivals through incessant pressure.

Corica's side were forced to defend with two tight lines of four as a result, and while they did well to restrict space through the middle of the field, they could not contain the Wanderers' width - and it soon told.

De Marigny's decision to replace the at fault and ineffective Russell with Bruce Kamau yielded the equaliser some two minutes later; his ensuing cross leading to a fortuitous finish from Yeboah.

The deserved leveller almost welcomed the winner in the shadows of full-time, but it was not to be as Sydney survived to earn their first derby point since April.

Saturday's draw symbolised the second straight time Corica had lost a tactical tussle with de Marigny, but on this occasion, his players knew it too.

"It was just average," Brattan fumed. "With the quality we've got, we should be a lot better than that."

Such a performance will have impressed Wanderers hierarchy, who will soon have no reason not to reward de Marigny a permanent appointment.

The 56-year-old has given the team an identity and flexible philosophy during his brief time in charge and they are now well within range of a finals berth - something that once seemed inconceivable.

"We caused them a lot of problems in possession of the ball... and they were there for the taking," de Marigny said.

"But I thought without the ball the discipline and desire to win the contest was phenomenal."

Such a desire was clear to see, and while the final derby of the regular season ended in a draw, de Marigny's mettle in the comeback will go down as a valiant victory.